Car truck



H. B. WEBER CAR TRUCK Filed March 5, 1965 June 7, 1966 United StatesPatent O 3,254,613 CAR TRUCK Hans B. Weber, Bedford, Ohio, assignor, bymesne assignments, to Midland-Ross Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 263,038 8 Claims.(Cl. 10S- 197) This invention relates to a new and improved railway cartruck and especially to a novel friction snubbing mechanism to limit theoscillations of the bolster of the car truck relative to the side frame.

The modern railway freight car truck is characterized by frictionsnubbing means that is reliable as well as simple to make and assemble.Y

The cost of the truck, its frequency of repair and ease of repair areprime considerations to the railroads. Because of the frequency of theoscillations of the weight bearing bolster member relative to the sideframe, and the reliance upon a friction snubbing means to damp theseoscillations, the wear of the surfaces involved is usually high. With ahigh rate of wear, there are the corresponding higher costs due tofrequent repair or replacement of Worn parts. The invention hereindisclosed provides a unique friction snubbing means for a car truck thatconcentrates the wear on an easily replaced part of the truck as well asproviding means to interlock the bolster to the side frame by means ofthe friction wedge. By thus localizing the wear, the maintenance costsare appreciably reduced. A further advantage of the herein disclosedinvention is to provide a readily assembled truck that reduces the timerequired for assembly and -repair and maintains the side frame andbolster in correct angular relationship.

It is therefore the primary object of `this invention to provide a newand Aimproved railway freight car truck that localizes wear on readilyrepaired or replaced parts of the truck.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide an improvedrailway car truck having friction snubbingV means that minimize contactbetween the side frame and bolster to lessen wear therebetween.

It is a still more specific object of this invention to provide arailway car truck with a friction snubbing means which includes afriction wedge having flanges that minimize wear between the side frameand bolster.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a railway car truckin which the snubbing wedges are the sole means reacting between theside frame and the bolster to prevent displacement of the bolsterrelative to the side frame and in which retraction of the snubbingwedges is limited in such a way that engagement is maintained betweenthe wedges and the bolster in all normal positions of these parts.

These and other objects will become more apparent from the followingdescription and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a side frame and bolsterembodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is -a fragmentary elevation in section of another portion of theside frame and bolster shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view in section of the side frame and bolster taken alongline IlI--III of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective View of a portion of the side frame and afriction wedge illustrated in the other figures.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is shown a side frame 2, and abolster 4. The side frame has an upper compression member 6, tensionmembers 8 and 8a, and vertical columns 10 and 10a.

The vertical column 10, typical of both columns has walls 11 and 12spaced transversely of the car frame 2 and longitudinally of the bolster4. The walls 11 and Patented June 7, 1966 12 are connected by a wall 22which cooperates as a rear wall with the Walls 11 and 12 as side wallsto define a wedge pocket 20 in the side frame. The Walls 11 and 12 havevertically elongated flanges 24 and 26, respectively, which extend inthe transverse direction of the side frame to provide vertical columnguide surfaces 13 and 14 which face the bolster and partly define theperiphery of the bolster receiving opening'23 as most clearly seen inFIGURE 3. Near the compression member 6, as an integral portion of thecolumn, is an element or means comprising two stops 15 and 16 which canbest be seen in FIGURES l and 4; see also the stop 15 of FIGURE 2.

Within the wedge pocket 20 is a friction wedge 40. The friction wedge ischaracterized by a front vertical bolster-engaging wall 41 providing aflat or planate friction surface 41s, a rear side frame-engaging wall42, side walls 43 and 44, and a spring seat 45. The wedge walls 41, 42are relatively divergent and define at their point of mergence a wedgetip 42a. Disposed laterally of the vertical friction surface 41s (moreclearly seen in FIG- URE 3) are flanges 46, 47 which are flange-likeextensions of the wall. In the embodiment shown, these flanges partlyform the friction surface 41s which en-- gages an opposing frictionsurface of the bolster 4. As shown in FIGURE 3, the wedge wall 41includes the flanges 46, 47 and is wider than the rear wedge wall 42 andoverlaps both pocket side walls 11 and 12 and vertically elongatedflanges 24, 26 in the transverse direction of the side frame. The wedgeis urged into engagement with the bolster and the rear pocket wall 22 bya spring 49 which is under compression between the seat 45 and a springseat 50 or 50a defined by the compression member 6.

The bolster 4 comprises a top wall 51, a bottom wall 52, and side walls53, 53a, vertically elongate guide lugs 54 and guide lugs 55 spacedlengthwise of the bolster and the intermediate portion of the wall 53define a U- shape recess along opposite sides of the bolster forreceiving a friction wedge, such as the Wedge 40. The bolster issupported at normal position in the side frame bolster opening by thebolster springs 56. A wear plate 57 is secured within each bolsterrecess between the lugs 54, 55 to the wall 53 providing a verticalsurface 58 which normally engages the surface 41s of the wedge insliding frictional relationship. Guide lugs 54 and 55 each have a guideface 54a and 55a, respectively, in opposed spaced relation with a guidesurface. The faces cooper ate with the surfaces to guide the bolster asit moves ver tically within the opening.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the distance in the transverse direction of outertransversely-facing surfaces 46a and 47a of zthe flanges 46 and 47,respectively, is greater than the distance between outertransversely-facing surfaces 15a and 16a of the stop lugs 15 and 16,respectively'. This arrangement :permits the bolster to rise to an upperportion of the bolster opening under unusual circumstances whilemaintained in guide relation with the flange surfaces 46a and 47awithout its movement being obstructed by the stops 15 and 16.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, the wedge 40 is shown in its normal position within thepocket and the recess provided by the side frame and bolster,respectively. The wedge .is urged downwardly by the spring 49 -againstthe surfaces of the bolster wear plate 57 and the rear .pocket wall 22.E-ach wedge tip 42a overhangs the lower portion of the column to therebydefine together an enlarged bolster entry opening 60 for receiving anend portion of the bolster during the assembly of the car truck. Whilethe wedge ordinarily rests against the surface of the wall 22, it cannotenter the pocket 20 any further than the wedge flanges 46 Iand 47 willpermit since appreciable movement into the pocket will cause engagementof the flanges with the vertical surfaces 13 and 14 of the column 1t).The wedge 40 cannot move upwardly any further than the fixed stops 15and 16 will permit since the anges 46 and 47 engage the stops upon alifting of the wedge away from the wall 22 within, eg., a distance ofless than 2 inches. The wedge has little freedom in the transversedirection of the side frame since its side walls are in close clearancewith the side Walls 11 and 12 of the column 10. Thus, when the bolsterrests on its supporting springs 56, there is no possibility of the wedgebeing jostled out of the side frame in the event of a broken wedgespring.

The bolster, though it may be freely moved into and out of the sideframe when disposed below the level of the tips of the wedges with thesprings S6 removed, is effectively trapped within the side frame by thewedges. Lateral movement of the bolster crosswise of the track bed islimited by engagement of the guide lugs 54, 55 with lthe anges 46, 47 ofthe wedge wall 41. Downward movement of the 4bolster is limited to thatpermitted by the solid height of the springs 56 which do not permit theguide lugs to pass beneath the anges 47, 46 of the wedge. Upwardmovement 0f the bolster is limited by the compression member. Even ifthe bolster engages the cornpression member', the overlappingrelationship of the guide lugs with the flanges 46, 47 permits little orno movement of the ybolster transversely to the side frame. The -bolsteris restricted in its movement relative to the side frame in thelongitudinal direction of the 4latter by the snubbing action of thefriction wedges land positively limited in such movement when the facesof the lugs 54, 55 engage the surfaces 13 and 14 of the elongatediianges. In this manner complete wedge interlock and snubbed verticalmovement between the bolster and a side frame is achieved.

In addition to providing a side frame `and bolster interlock, the wedge,bolster, and side frame construction herein disclosed sustainssubstantially less wear on the truck than experienced with a type ofconventional truck wherein the lbolster has `guide lugs which rub thesides of the column. With these conventional trucks, a serious problemin repair was the reconstruction of the guide lugs` on the bolster, orthe repair of the column due -to abrading contact between the guide lugsand column.

In the present construction, the bolster engages only the Wedge innormal train operation and rarely ever contacts the side frames. Thewedge, on the other hand, undergoes only slight relative movement withthe side frame. Wear between the bolster and the wedge occurs primarilyon the wear plate 57 and the wedge along its surface 41s. Thus, the wearis concentrated on readily replaceable parts, namely: the wedge and thewear plate 57. Because of the greater than conventional frictionalsurfaces provided by the wedge 40 and the wear plate 57, replacementfrequency is reduced.

T O Iassemble the truck, the wedge 40 is urged by a pinch bar in adirection compressing the spring 49 in the usual manner. The wedge isheld in a retracted position by a retaining pin while the bolster isinserted into the side frame bolster entry opening thereby allowing itslugs 54, to pass under the retracted wedge. Once positioned within theentry opening, the bolster is raised into the bolster receiving openinguntil the support springs 56 can be placed under the basket portionthereof. The bolster is then lowered until the wall 52 thereof rests onthe springs. At this point, the retaining pin holding the wedge in theretracted position can be withdrawn and the wedges are forced intocontact with the bolster by the action of the springs 49.

yIn addition to facilitating repair of a worn truck by merely replacinga removable part of the friction snubbing means, the herein disclosedinvention provides improved snubbing. Hitherto in the art, one of thelimitations on the effectiveness of the friction snubbing was the`limitation of the area of the friction surface on the wedge. In thepast, the width of the vertical column has imposed a maximum width tothe wedge. This is particularly true of wedges having their wedge.pockets located in the side frame column. By constructing a wedge asherein disclosed, with its bolster-engaging wal-l extended beyond itsside walls and the bolster corespondingly recessed, it is possible toincrease the area of the friction surface on the wedge beyond the widthof the wedge pocket in the column. Thus, there is not only the advantageof localizing truck wear and simplifying repair and assembly, butimproving the overall efficiency of the snubbing means through increasein surface areas of the bolster and wedge in frictional contact.

Another advantage of a railway car truck, in accordance with thisinvention, is that the vertical surfaces of the columns 10, forming thebolster opening of each side frame extend in a straight line from thetension member to the compression member. When constructed in thismanner, there is substantial improvement in the inherent strength of theside frame. This construction is possible because of the elimination ofthe lugs on the bolster conventionally provided to overlap the columnsin the longitudinal direction of the side frame, and consequentelimination of notches in the column for passage of bolster lugstherethrough in assembling or disassembling the truck. By the presentinvention the bolster and -side frame are interlocked by the wedge.

The terms and expressions which -have been employed are used `as termsof description and not of limitation, and there is no intention ofexcluding such equivalents of the invention described or of the portionsthereof as fall within the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a railway truck:

(a) a bolster;

(b) a side frame having an opening therein through which an end portionof the bolster is laterally insei-ted;

(c) a pair of vertical members in said side frame defining oppositesides `of said opening, said opposite sides being spaced apart by adistance greater than `the overall longitudinal dimension of the bolsterand each member having a wedge retaining pocket formed in the face whichpartially bounds said opening in a general vertical transverse plane,said mem- -bers restraining the bolster against movement longitudinallyof the truck;

(d) a longitudinally, retractable wedge in each pocket,

resiliently biased toward the bolster and reacting between an inclinedsurface within the pocket and `a vertical, transverse face of thebolster, each wedge extending into a clearance space defined between thetransverse vertical face of the -bolster and the general verticaltransverse plane of said corresponding vertical member;

(e) means holding the wedges against lateral displacement;

(f) single means to limit both retraction and vertical movement of thewedges, and prevent withdrawal of either wedge from the clearance space;

(g) means Vcoacting only between the wedges and the bolster to preventlateral displacement of the bolster relatively to the wedges; and I (h)means reacting between the bolster and the side frame to limit verticalmovement of the bolster in said opening whereby said wedges engage saidvertical transverse faces of the bolster in any position the parts mayassume.

2. The combination defined in 1 in which the bolsterengaging face ofeach wedge includes laterally extending side portions lying between thebolster and said vertical members; and in which the single means tolimit both retraction and vertical movement of the wedges comprisesbosses projecting from `said members into said clearance space andarranged in the path of travel of said side portions.

3. The combination defined in `cl-aim 1 and spring means reactingbetween the side frame and the bolster and serving as the means to limitvertical movement of the bolster in one direction, said spring meansbeing removable, whereby the bolster may travel beyond the limitestablished by the spring means, to a position in which the meanscoacting between said wedge and bolster to prevent lateral movement ofthe bolster Irelatively to the side frame is rendered ineffective forpurposes of assembly and disassembly of the truck.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 in which the means coactingbetween the wedge and the bolster to prevent lateral movement of thebolster relatively to the side frame comprises spaced vertical guidewaysformed on the bolster and projecting into the clearance space andengaging opposite sides ofthe wedges.

5. In a railway car truck:

(a) a bolster having vertically disposed, transverse side faces on itsopposite side;

(b) longitudinally projecting, vertical guides on said opposite facesdefining a -guideway therebetween, the longitudinally outermost edges ofthe guides being longitudinally spaced apar-t a distance equal to theoverall longitudinal dimension of the bolster;

(c) a side frame having an opening therein through which an end portionof the bolster may be laterally inserted;

(d) a pair of vertical members in said side frame serving to bound saidopening .and coacting with the longitudinally outermost edges of -theguides to limit longitudinal displacement of the bolster relatively tothe side frame, each member having la wedge-retaining pocket formed inthe surface which bounds said y Opening;

(e) a longitudinally retractable wedge in each pocket, resilientlybiased toward the transverse side faces of the bolster and lreactingbetween an inclined surface within the pocket and the verticaltransverses side faces of the bolster;

(f) laterally extending lianges formed on the wedges and having verticalouter lateral edges lying between said guides on the bolster andpreventing lateral displacement of the bolster relatively to the wedges;

(g) means holding the wedges against lateral displacement relatively tothe side frame;

(h) means projecting from the side frame toward the bolster between theguides and limiting upward movement and retraction of the wedges byengagement with the upper edge of the wedge, whereby said Wedge cannotbe -retracted from between said guides;

(i) stop means reacting between -the side frame and the bolster to limitdisplacement of the bolster relative to the side frame whereby saidwedges are engaged by the guides in any position the parts may assume;and

(j) means rendering one of said stop means ineffective for purposes ofassembly and disassembly.

6. 'Ihe combination defined in cl-aim 5 in which the stop means whichmay be rendered ineffective comprises spring means reacting between thebolster and the side frame and which -urge the bolster upward and inwhich the Wedges have a downward directed narrowing taper.

7. The combination defined in claim 1 and means for holding the wedgesin Ia position of retraction thereby releasing the bolster for movementbeyond the limit established by the spring means when said spring meansis re-A moved.

8. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein:

(A) said single means to limit both retraction and vertical movement ofthe wedges comprises bosses projecting from said members into saidclearance space and arranged in the path of travel of said wedges inhorizontally overlapping relation to that portion of each wedge disposedin said clearance space; and

(B) the transverse dimension of the bolster-engaging face of each wedgeis greater than the distance between outer transversely facing surfacesof said bosses.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,894,385 1/ 1933Webb 10S-197 2,159,138 5/1939 Duryea 10S-197 2,324,267 7/ 1942 Oelkers105--97 2,545,591 3/1951 Shaw 105-197 2,697,989 12/ 1954 Shafer 10S-1972,729,173 1/ 1956 Couch 105-197 2,732,813 1/1956 Couch 10S-197 2,908,23210/ 1959 Baselt 10S-197 EUGENE G. BOTZ, Primary Examiner.

LEO QUACKENBUSH, MILTON BUCHLER,

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Examiners.

H. BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A RAILWAY TRUCK: (A) A BOLSTER; (B) A SIDE FRAME HAVING AN OPENINGTHEREIN THROUGH WHICH AN END PORTION OF THE BOLSTER IS LATERALLYINSERTED; (C) A PAIR OF VERTICAL MEMBERS IN SAID SIDE FRAME DEFININGOPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID OPENING, SAID OPPOSITE SIDES BEING SPACED APARTBY A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE OVERAL LONGITUDINAL DIMENSION OF THEBOLSTER AND EACH MEMBER HAVING A WEDGE RETAINING POCKET FORMED IN THEFACE WHICH PARTIALLY BOUNDS SAID OPENING IN A GENERAL VERTICALTRANSVERSE PLANE, SAID MEMBERS RESTRAINING THE BOLSTER AGAINST MOVEMENTLONGITUDINALLY OF THE TRUCK; (D) A LONGITUDINALLY, RETRACTABLE WEDGE INEACH POCKET, RESILIENTLY BIASED TOWARD THE BOLSTER AND REACTING BETWEENAN INCLINED SURFACE WITHIN THE POCKET AND A VERTICAL, TRANSVERSE FACE OFTHE BOLSTER, EACH WEDGE EXTENDING INTO A CLEARANCE SPACE DEFINED BETWEENTHE TRANSVERSE VERTICAL FACE OF THE BOLSTER AND THE GENERAL VERTICALTRANSVERSE PLANE OF SAID CORRESPONDING VERTICAL MEMBER; (E) MEANSHOLDING THE WEDGES AGAINST LATERAL DISPLACEMENT; (F) SINGLE MEANS TOLIMIT BOTH RETRACTION AND VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF THE WEDGES, AND PREVENTWITHDRAWAL OF EITHER WEDGE FROM THE CLEARANCE SPACE; (G) MEANS COACTINGONLY BETWEEN THE WEDGES AND THE BOLSTER TO PREVENT LATERAL DISPLACEMENTOF THE BOLSTER RELATIVELY TO THE WEDGES; AND (H) MEANS REACTING BETWEEENTHE BOLSTER AND THE SIDE FRAME TO LIMIT VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF THE BOLSTERIN SAID OPENING WHEREBY SAID WEDGES ENGAGES SAID VERTICAL TRANSVERSEFACES OF THE BOLSTER IN ANY POSITION THE PARTS MAY ASSUME.